Monday, October 30, 2017

Raghu Dharmendra Biodata

Blowing My Own Trumpet


H.S. DHARMENDRA (b. 1976) better known as Raghu to friends and the art fraternity is a die-hard Mysorean. A product of Mysore University he holds a post graduate degree in Computer Applications and does the unimaginable. Raghu takes on the avatar of a designer of fine artefacts, dolls, traditional game-boards, game pieces, brochures, booklets and calendars for Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP), the Mysore-based art foundation which hosts iconic events like ‘Bombe Mane, Kreedaa Kaushalya and Deepa Soundarya.’

In between he acquired a PG Degree in Fine Arts (History) which he admits adds a bit of colour and artistic depth to what would have been a bland rigmarole of life.

Raghu heads the Research section of RKP. His area of research includes traditional Mysore paintings, traditional dolls of India and traditional Indian indoor games. He also slips on the operatic cloak of an art historian when necessary and then with equal ease dons the mantle of a guest lecturer at Chamarajendra Government College of Visual Arts (CAVA) in Mysuru.

A Man of Many parts - Raghu!

He is also a co-author of the book, ‘Indian Traditional Board Games – A Guide to the Art of Play’, published (2016) by Ramsons Kala Pratishtana. As a part of the research, Raghu along with the RKP team spent hours and several days visiting scores of temples across the sub-continent to unearth the mystery of traditional board games etched in temple floors. The result was the informative book mentioned here.

On the occasion of opening of the "Ramsingh's Museum of Mysuru Paintings" (25-02-2020), an introductory book about the museum was released which was co-authored by Raghu and R.G. Singh. The volume was titled "Mysuru Chitra Siri" and it has been very well received for its contents as well as the introductory writeups about fifteen contemporary artists who practice Mysuru style. Raghu has designed both these books including their covers and layouts.

His dissertation for MFA – ‘Portraiture in Surapura and Mysore Paintings – A Comparative Study’ throws some interesting facts about the genre of portraiture in South Indian paintings and awaits publication.

H.S. Dharmendra (Raghu)
Art Historian and Curator
Ramsons Kala Pratishtana
1160, Ramsons, Opp. Zoo, Mysuru 570010
M: 9686 693 625. E: raghuonlife@gmail.com
raghuonlife.blogpost.com
Bombemane.blogspot.com
Kreedaakaushalya.blogspot.com

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